Twisted: A Death Story
by thelittlestones
Summary: Summer has just ended and secrets are coming out. What is the real reason Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet broke up? Who is Rose and why has she come to Verona High? What is Frankie running from? And, best yet, why did Romeo and Juliet kill themselves, months after their separation? Only 5 people knew the truth—Romeo, Juliet, Tyler, Nora, and Frankie. Only 3 live. AU/OOC.
1. Dramatis Personae

Twisted: A Death Story

A/N: This is a modern version of Romeo and Juliet that I made up. It's gonna be pretty fucked up though, so bear with me. This is going to be in the exact order Shakespeare wrote it. M is Montague, C is Capulet, E is Escalus, and N is the people who are on none of them.

Dramatis Personae:

v Rose: Rosaline (C)

v Officer Escalus/ Principle Escalus(same guy, 2 jobs. Kinda sucks, right?): Prince Escalus (E)

v Pete: Paris (E)

v Mr. Montague: Montague (M)

v Mr. Capulet: Capulet (C)

v Gramps: That Old Guy (M)

v Romeo: Romeo (it wouldn't be R+J without the names) (M)

v Tyler (aka Tiger): Tybalt (C)

v Mercer: Mercutio (N)

v Benji: Benvolio (M)

v Lawrence: Friar Laurence (N)

v John: Friar John (N)

v Burke: Balthasar (M)

v Abe: Abram (M)

v Sam: Sampson (C)

v Greg: Gregory (C)

v Mrs. Montague: Lady Montague (M)

v Mrs. Capulet: Lady Capulet (M)

v Juliet: Juliet (C)

v Nora: Nurse (C)

v Students: Citizens of Verona

Yeah, you guys should only read this if you've read Romeo and Juliet. If not, it'll be interesting, but it won't make complete sense.

So, enjoy!


	2. Prologue

Prologue:

I had never meant for this to happen. Well, I had, but not this way.

There were two sides in this unspoken war. Our two high schools had to merge together to make Verona High so the younger kids would have a place to go to school at, seeing as their schools collapsed.

Our schools had never liked each other. Sure, we were from the same town, and would root for either team if they were vs. another team in football and crap, but the first game of the season was Montague vs. Capulet. I wasn't there for that though, and it was a damned shame.

Each of the schools were respectively names Capulet High and Montague High. Long ago, they both built schools for the town. Since they already had aN elementary and Middle school, the county gave kids the option of going to Capulet's school or Montague's school. And thus their rivalry began.

It was little things at first, but then people started to end up in hospitals. Our joint school's Principal wasn't even a principle at all. He was an Officer, a strict bitter man with a ramrod straight back and beedy eyes. He was neither Pro-M or Pro-C, and was harsh, so the county put him in charge of our establishment.

But I'm not talking about that now. I'm talking about _them._

Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet. They had gone out for a year as Juniors, but had suddenly split. No one knew why.

Then they ended up dead.

Their deaths shocked the student body. It shocked their parents too. It shocked them into a truce.

But that'll be explained later. Just keep reading. Then you'll understand it all.


	3. Act I Scene I

Act I Scene I

I heard their voices, carrying over to me on the beach breeze. I scurried away, past the driftwood and used condom wrappers, until I made it to my goal. The Rock. I climbed over it. Truly, it was a monster of a rock. You fall, you go the hospital. But I had done this many a time before, finding footholds were there were none, handholds only I knew of. I threw my backpack, slightly sandy, over the Rock and I slid down the earthy hole halfway, so that I could see over the edge. Everyone had chosen a side, except me. So I was a target. Be them Capulet or Montague, (usually Capulet) they would beat me. It had happened before.

"Why the hell do we have to do this shit for Tiger? I feel like—" Sam's voice rung out.

"His bitch?" Greg said jokingly. "Cuz that's what we are."

"If you weren't on our side man, I would beat you up for that." Sam's voice was threatening.

"If I were a Montague, you'd be to slow for me." Greg laughed again, but this time Sam laughed with him.

"You wanna fight?" He said playfully.

"Nah, I'm too lazy."

"I can motivate you to."

"Aw, wittle Sammy's using big words." He said mockingly in a baby voice. "Are you moved to?"

"Um, yeah—"

"Well I'm a Montague. If I move you, you're a little wimp, running away. Like Frankie last week." I balled up my fists, tears in my eyes. I don't like getting beat up, was that a crime?

"They can't move me, I'm too strong."

"Only the strong say they're strong, when really, everyone is as pathetic as that loser if they don't stand up for their colors."

"You know what's pathetic? The way girls throw themselves at us. Gwen tried to give me a lapdance while drunk at Mercer's house." Mercer was a funny guy, and rich, and popular. Like me, he hadn't chosen sides. But he wasn't punished because he throws the best parties. What did I have to offer besides my secret? My comic book collection? I scoffed quietly.

"How was it?"

"She puked on me."

"That's pretty pathetic. Hey, isn't she a Capulet?"

"Yeah, but Mercer lets everyone 'cool' in, Montague or Capulet."

They walked past the rock and I slid down. I almost got back up, then I heard their voices outside my hiding spot. I closed my eyes tightly. Crap.

"Shit, Greg, the Montagues are here. Shit, shit, shit." He said in rapid succession. "I don't have a knife on me, you?"

"No. Crap." He said. I heard the sound of his getting out a cigarette. "Wait, its Benji and his crew. He might not attack us." Sam sighed and I groaned. _Leave already!_ I wanted to shout at them. _Go away!_

But, of course they didn't.

"Benji's not with them. Alright, if it's just his bitches, lets flip 'em off."

"Sam," Greg warns him, but even I know it's too late.

"Did you just flip me off?" says an incredulous Abe. _Dammit_. He was here? A blush made its way up my cheeks as I remembered how he had picked up my books for me after Tiger shoved me against the wall. He looked me in the eyes, his gaze burning to my soul. He had looked confused, as to why he was having a semi-sexual stare down with _me_, but he turned away as Benji called for him. I was already out of his mind, I had thought. But he had turned and waved at me as he walked out the doors to the East Wing. I stood there for a whole hour until the bell rang again and I hurried off to French.

I was brought back to the present as Abe growled at Sam. "I said," as I heard his knuckles crack. I swallowed roughly. "Did you just fucking flip us off?"

"Will we get in trouble if I say no?" Sam whispers to Greg.

"With Tiger, you will."

"Shit." He whispered before saying to Abe in a louder voice. "Well, I didn't flip _you _off, but I did give the finger."

"Are you trying to start a fight?" Greg asked, a smirk in his voice.

"What?" Abe scoffed. "Do you hear this bull Burke? No." I couldn't tell if he was being sincere or not.

"If you wanna fight, we can fight. But you do know who will win."

"Yes, yes we do."

It was silent for a bit. I could imagine Abe and Sam having a stare down, but I couldn't be sure because if the saw me, they'd beat me up so badly…

My fingers fumbled as they punched in the number every student had memorized, and one they wished they never had to use. Officer Escalus.

"There's a fight," I whispered as the phone was picked up. "At the beach, off of William Ave. By the Rock."

"Shit, Tiger's coming." Greg whispered. "Do something!"

"Tyler Capulet's coming," I said, my voice hardly higher than a breath. "Please hurry." I pressed end with cold fingers.

"Yeah," Sam said loudly. "I'll win!"

"Liar!" Abe said.

"Let's find out." Sam said. "Remember what I taught you Greg."

They started to fight, Abe vs. Sam, Burke vs. Greg. Fist for fist, blow for blow, kick for kick. I could hear sand hitting the rock and I flinched as someone cried out.

I couldn't hear Tyler aka Tiger's footsteps, but that might have been from the fighting and the swearing. Suddenly Benji's voice sounded out.

"You idiots! Stop, you guys don't know what you're doing." He said. I dared to peek over the edge. Benji was pulling Burke and Abe from the fight by their collars. Abe wiped blood from the side of his mouth as he looked over to where I was. I ducked back down but not before our eyes made contact. I waited a moment before looking over the rock again. Abe was pacing and everyone else was staring out into the distance.

Then Tiger arrived. His hair was darker than night, his eyes gleaming ferociously, hence his nickname.

"Well," he said, his voice as smooth as velvet. I had never heard him speak before this day, not even at school. I always imagined it as a growl. "Let's even the odds. I'd like to send another one of you to the hospital, especially a blood Montague."

"I just want the fighting to stop." Benji said, the sunset, throwing shadows at lines in his face that shouldn't be there at his age. I felt young and childish and stupid compared to him in that lighting and then I felt sorry for him, because he sincerely wanted peace. But his family, and the Capulets, had already left their mark on him. He would turn into a Tiger soon, I was sure of it.

"I just saw you punch Sam!" He roared, his inner tiger coming out. "And you claim you want peace?"

I peeked again, and saw a group of students run towards us. Of course they had sides, but no one liked fighting, and no one liked fighting with Tiger involved. Capulets made a wall around Tiger, Sam, and Greg, some holding him back, Montagues doing the same as they held Abe back.

The screech of tires follows and I hear Officer Escalus' siren seconds later. I thought it would be safer if I stayed in my spot. But I couldn't help but watch.

The Montagues and Capulets got out of their respective cars, marching over to the mass of people. The fathers' feet flung sand up into the air, and the high heeled mothers' feet sunk into the warm sand as they struggled after their husbands.

I looked back at Abe, and he turned to face me again. His eyes held anger, anger at the Capulets, and pain from Sam's blows. But confusion flitted across his eyes again as he turned away. My heart sunk.

"What the hell is going on here!" roared Mr. Capulet. His new wife, a twenty-two year old, whom he had married a short year after his first wife's death, almost fell over on the sand, before righting herself. She sent a sultry look towards Tiger before intertwining her fingers with her husband's. He ripped his hand from her clutches and shook a finger at the Montagues. The students slowly began to dissipate, knowing where Tiger had gotten his temperament from. "Goddamn Montagues, attacking us!"

"You bastard," Mr. Montague said, spitting at Capulet's feet. He turns to his wife. "This is the last straw. If I kill him, make sure I have a good lawyer at my trial." He takes care to push up his sleeves. She grabs his arms.

"Don't, please. Don't!" She cries out. I can see Officer Escalus run towards the fray, his firearm out; this was necessary at all fights now. Everyone had a weapon on them.

My heart thudded in my ear as I watched the crowd get more and more agitated. Escalus loads his gun and shoots once in the air. I flinch. The crowd runs until only Abe, Benji, Burke, Sam, Greg, Tiger, Mr. & Mrs. Montague, and Mr. & Mrs. Capulet are left.

"Goddamn rebels. Will they listen to me? No! They use guns and knives to kill their own neighbors. They don't care if the sand's stained red." He mutters. In a louder voice, as Officer Escalus comes closer to the group. "The next time you kids pull a stunt like this, you are expelled _and _are going to be sent to juvie. Clear? This is the third and last time this will happen." He turns to the adults now. "And you two! Keep your kids in line. Don't fight hate with hate, only more will get hurt. And the next time," he says squinting in turn at Montague and Capulet. "It could be _your_ son, or _your_ daughter." He pauses, to let his words sink in. "We need to talk in private. Montague, come with me. Capulet, I'll call you later. Then we'll discuss this in length." He turns and walks away. Soon after an angrily whispered conversation with the boys, the Capulets follow, Mr. Capulet dragging Tiger to the car by his ear, Sam and Greg following with heads bowed in shame.

"Abe, Burke, you guys go home. I'll catch up with you at school on Monday." They leave, and I watch Abe's retreating, and bloodstained, back. I mentally slap myself.

_Frankie, _my inner self said. _Don't you dare. If you start to develop feeling for him, your secret will be out of the bag._

I turned back to the scene in front of the rock. Benji had leaned against the Rock, and Mr. Montague was smoking a cigarette. He handed it to Mrs. Montague and she took a drag before offering it to Benji. He declined politely; he was always such a good guy. She smoked it for a couple moments more as Mr. Montague pummeled Benji with questions.

"Who started it?"

"The Capulets. They had already started fighting when I came. I got them to stop, but then Tiger came and tried to start a fight with me. You know how he is Uncle. Then the kids came and broke us apart then you came then Escalus came. The end." Mrs. Capulet, her cheeks sallow as she breathed in, her face drawn as she breathed out. It made her seem tired and old, lifeless and drawn. Like she had given up. Like her husband's dealings had slowly killed her.

"Where's Romeo?" She asked. I would have expected a smoker's voice (judging from the expert way she held it between her fingers) but it was muted, and as soft as velvet.

"I saw him, walking on the beach, just before sunset. But he saw me and ran in the opposite direction. So I walked away." He shrugged, but I could see pain behind his words. "I know where to be if I'm not wanted." Mrs. Montague pats his arm comfortingly. Mr. Montague scratches his chin. I check my watch. The numbers read **8:46**. Crap. I only had 15 minutes to get home.

_Hurry, _I silently begged them. _Please._

"Romeo still hasn't gotten over Juliet, has he? All he does is wallow on the beach and lock himself in his room. I'm beginning to wonder if he needs therapy."

"I don't know why he's so depressed," Benji says cautiously. "After all, he was the one who broke it off with Juliet."

"I suppose so." Montague says again. "Alright, I think I'll go home. Come on Nelle." They walk arm and arm to their car. Benji moves to leave.

I grab my bag and inch up the rock. But then a new voice stops me cold.

"Hey," Romeo says in a morose voice.

"Good morning," Benji says.

"It's morning?" Romeo says, looking up from the sand. His dark blue eyes are hidden by a mop of dark hair.

"No, it's 9 PM." Benji says, grinning.

"Damn." Romeo says, running a hand through his hair. I had to appreciate that, though he was definitely off the market, he was handsome. "Was that my parents?"

"Yeah, there was a fight. Tiger was there. You know."

"Yeah, I do." The air is silent; all I can hear is the muted sound of a car backfiring and crickets, chirping in the warm late-summer air. The waves crash against the dock.

"So school starts the day after tomorrow." Benji says, trying to start a conversation.

"It does?" Romeo says, confused, as he runs a hand through his hair. "Damn, I'm out of it."

"That," Benji says, laughing. "You are." Then he stops laughing. "You need to get over Juliet, man. It's ruining your life."

"I know," he says miserably. The back of my neck prickles, and I feel like I should turn around. But I don't, and I stay focused on the scene below me.

"If you loved her so much, why did you break up with her?" Benji asks.

"I can't tell you." Romeo says.

"I'm your cousin. You can tell me anything." Benji says, putting an hand on Romeo's shoulder. "Why?"

"Tyler," Romeo said. "He told me I had ruined Jewel's life. That she hated me for what I did to her. I made her an outsider of her own family. And he told me that she hated me and was to kind to break it off. He handed me a phone and told me to call her and tell her it was over. And I did. And I hated myself afterwards."

"She didn't try and change that Romeo. Let her go." Benji said.

"But I still love her," Romeo says, a single tear trailing down his cheek. "I can't stop. I don't want to stop. But it hurts to not stop."

"Love hurts. It hurts everyone. You aren't immune." Benji leans against the Rock again. Romeo starts to laugh.

"Love is a hypocrite. Your heart is your enemy. Love hurts. We fight over love. We joke about serious things, and when we die, are judged by a feather of lead. Smoke is bright, we're sick in health, and apparently my tutor says there's order in chaos! Waking from sleep, loving your enemy. Everything is the opposite of what is should be."

"True," Benji says, dipping his head so I can see the paleness of his neck, washed over by the moonlight. "But it isn't love that's a hypocrite, its life. And don't ramble; you sound like Mercer when he's high."

"You aren't laughing at me?" Romeo says, surprised. He leans against the Rock and slides down, his dark shirt catching on the bumps and outcrops.

"Nah, I get what you mean. Like the whole world's playing a trick against us." He lights a cigarette, its plume of smoke rising up to sting my eyes. "But you have to remember other people deal with this crap every day."

"Not exactly," Romeo said, his voice sentimental. I can tell he's thinking about the feud and I think about it too. Benji bows him head again, like the memories of violence are weighing down on his young shoulders. "Love is a poison." Romeo says, getting up. "I'm gonna head out."

"Wait, I'll go with you," Benji says. "That stuff you said was really depressing. I'm here to make sure you don't shoot yourself." He cracks a grin.

"I'm more likely to start singing songs of my love for Juliet than shoot myself." He says, scowling.

"Then the chances of both are pretty high. Cheers!" Benji says, throwing an arm around Romeo's shoulders. "Don't worry," He said, his next words for Romeo only, voice tinny from the distance. "I'll teach you to love again."

As I watched them leave, I scrambled up out of the hole and stood on the rock. The wind ruffled my hair. I smiled, watching the ocean crash against the far out lighthouse.

"Hey," a voice said above me. "Hey you!" I felt my face go bloodless as I turned and looked up.

"Frankie!" Nora said, surprised. She turned and yelled "Jules, it's Frankie!" My heart stops as Juliet Capulet emerges and stands on the balcony next to Nora. I don't think. I just run.

"Hey!" Nora yells as I jump off the Rock. "Don't do that you'll get hurt!" But I've already landed on my feet like a cat and run off as her voice fades behind me.

The last words I hear are from Juliet. "Don't. If she's not ready to tell her secret, then we shouldn't ask."

My thoughts: Crap. They knew. Did other people know?

Then: I'm late. Dad's gonna give me one hell of a beating tonight.

Oh well. It's better than being part of the other war.


End file.
